City on a Hill: A Stopover in Bergamo

Milan has 3 airports: Linate, located practically within the city, Malpensa, located 40 minutes west of Milan proper, and Bergamo, which is, in reality, located in the city of Bergamo rather than Milan. Airlines still sell flights to Bergamo as flights to Milan, and most people skip out on seeing Bergamo, which is a major mistake.

We arrived in Bergamo by train, then took a local bus to the Citta Alta, the Old Town of Bergamo. Though it is walkable, I wouldn’t recommend it, the Citta Alta is quite high up (as the name implies) and it’s quite a steep climb.

The best thing to do in Bergamo is to simply wander and explore. The old city is chock-full of churches, cute streets, and wonderful views. We explored it on an October Tuesday, meaning there were very few tourists around, and we felt like we had Bergamo to ourselves (at least in the morning).

It wouldn’t be a visit to Italy without seeing a few churches. The first we saw was little San Salvatore, tucked away in a little side alley. It has a beautiful, multi-layered painting on the ceiling, receding into the church’s dome.

The main churches are located on the Piazza Duomo Bergamo Alta (or Cathedral Square). The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is the most beautiful, with floor-to-ceiling decorations including paintings, statues, wood engravings, and more.

Neighbouring it is the Capella Colleoni, a private chapel of the Colleoni family. The inside pales in comparison to Santa Maria, but the outside has an incredibly facade of colourful stone. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take photos inside.

The final church (and the only free one) on this square is Bergamo Cathedral. Like most Italian churches, it is decorated throughout; the white colour scheme is truly stunning! We managed to enter it as soon as it opened following the afternoon break, which meant we had the whole cathedral to ourselves for a few precious moments.

We strolled about Bergamo for a bit afterwards, then grabbed dinner. Before we knew it, it was time for us to depart for the airport and head back home.